Best Stock and How to Secure It 



There are only two varieties of bees worthy of consideration for 

 use in the United States ; in fact, they are about the only varieties now- 

 left here for consideration, and they are the Italians and the Germans 

 (or blacks) as they are commonly called. The prolific Syrians and the 

 fierce, irritable Cyprians, have practically passed away on this side nf 

 the waters. These varieties of bees are very prolific, but undue prolific- 

 ness is of no value — it is really objectionable for this part of the world. 

 If queens cost large sums of money, there might be a shade of reason 

 in desiring those that are prolific ; but to the practical honey-producer 

 they cost almost nothing; and by using hives that are not too large, 

 queens of ordinary prolificness will keep the combs sufficiently filled with 

 brood. The great ambition of these varieties seems to be to rear brood 

 instead of to store honey. Their only object in gathering honey appears 

 to be that it may be used in rearing brood. They will rear brood until 

 the last drop of honey in the hive is used. The S)Tians also have the 

 undesirable trait of filling the cells so full of honey, and capping it so 

 poorly, as to give it a dark, watery appearance, which is very objection- 

 able in comb-honey production. 



Carniolans resemble the Syrians and Cyprians, so far as prolificness 

 is concerned, but are very gentle, and cap their honey with a whiteness 

 equal to that capped by the blacks ; but this disposition to extend their 

 energies in breeding and swarming has caused them to be discarded in 

 their purity, although a few bee-keepers still prefer a cross between them 

 and the Italians. 



In this matter of brood-rearing, the Italians are unexcelled. During 

 the spring months they push breeding with wonderful rapidity ; but as 

 soon as the main honey harvest begins in earnest, breeding is greatly 

 reduced, and most of the energy turned to the gathering and storing 

 of honey. It might be safely said that the Italians are the standard 

 variety of this country. They are very gentle in disposition, remaining 

 quietly on the combs when being handled, while there seems to be about 

 them a peculiarly quiet, steady, energetic determination possessed by n(i 

 other variety. Almost any variety of bees will do fair work gathering 

 honey when it is plentiful and near by ; but when the flowers yield spar- 

 ingly, and must be sought for far and wide, then it is that the Italians 



